The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) recently announced that Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014. This is the 12th year this honor has been earned by HCPS.
The award represents a significant achievement by HCPS, reflecting the commitment of the school system’s leadership team to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, HCPS had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for an effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an organization’s budget serves as:
- a policy document,
- a financial plan,
- an operations guide, and
- a communications
Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
As part of achieving the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the HCPS Finance Department was also presented a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation.
For budgets beginning in 2013, 1,424 participants received the Award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
The Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of more than 18,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in Washington, D.C. The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.
